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The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden
(The Vanderbeekers #2)
by
Return to Harlem's "wildly entertaining" family in this funny, heartwarming sequel. When catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbors, the Vanderbeeker children set out to build the best, most magical healing garden in Harlem—in spite of a locked fence, thistles and trash, and the conflicting plans of a wealthy real estate developer.
While Isa is off at sleepaway or ...more
While Isa is off at sleepaway or ...more
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Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
September 25th 2018
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (The Vanderbeekers, #2)
I read an advance reading uncorrected proof copy with 326 pages. Thank you, Karina! The author asked me if I wanted a copy and offered to add my name to the list, and I received it from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to read a book in advance of publication and I am grateful because I have such fun reading books early. I’ll probably reread the book when the hardcover edition is available, just in case changes have been made be ...more
It’s been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to read a book in advance of publication and I am grateful because I have such fun reading books early. I’ll probably reread the book when the hardcover edition is available, just in case changes have been made be ...more
Aug 06, 2018
mindful.librarian ☀️
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
middle-grade,
advanced-reader-copies
🌟 ALL THE STARS 🌟 Thx to the author for this free review copy of her 9.25.18 sequel to THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141st STREET ❤️
.
These books are the unicorns of Kid Lit. They can appeal to ages 4 - 13 due to the style of writing and the ages of the characters and are perfectly described as Penderwickian. With the bonus of there being a brother! If you don’t know The Penderwicks, how about The Melendy family in the books by Elizabeth Enright? These stories evoke those exact same feelings.
.
THE VANDERBE ...more
.
These books are the unicorns of Kid Lit. They can appeal to ages 4 - 13 due to the style of writing and the ages of the characters and are perfectly described as Penderwickian. With the bonus of there being a brother! If you don’t know The Penderwicks, how about The Melendy family in the books by Elizabeth Enright? These stories evoke those exact same feelings.
.
THE VANDERBE ...more
After one of their neighbors has a heart-attack and is rushed to hospital the Vanderbeekers decide to turn an overgrown plot of land into a community garden for him and his wife. With a very limited budget but a truck load of creativity they begin to see results, but a developer has his eyes on the plot and plans to put a cookie cutter condo there.
Will their garden be bulldozed before their neighbor gets to walk through it?
Solid gold 5 Stars. A magical story that will captivate young readers. ...more
Will their garden be bulldozed before their neighbor gets to walk through it?
Solid gold 5 Stars. A magical story that will captivate young readers. ...more
Nov 15, 2020
Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Just as amazing as the first book!
this was so heartwarming! I was so happy to be back with the family and their neighbours! I think I maybe liked it a bit more than the first book, but really just a smidge. they're both amazing. and this second book was so lovely and cosy, very much focused on friendship and giving back to your community! (4.25)
...more
I love the Vanderbeekers and seeing them in this adventure -- one of heart and love and generosity but filled with choices made with little foresight -- was delightful. A fun family.
Also, a lesson learned here: do not take your rabbit to the hospital to visit a patient.
Also, a lesson learned here: do not take your rabbit to the hospital to visit a patient.
Apr 03, 2020
Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
own-other,
read-secular-mainstream
4 stars.
What a sweet story. I don’t think I could put into words how proud I was of the Vanderbeeker kids all throughout the story—but especially at the ending. How they thought about others and their actions about the garden were so touching. This really was such a charming book and also a bit cleaner than the first book.
Content:
*Mentions of churches and a pastor.
*Minor cussing (a couple ‘fudge’s, a couple ‘holy heck’s, a ‘sucked’, a ‘jeez’,).
A few mentions of deaths of loved ones & how ...more
What a sweet story. I don’t think I could put into words how proud I was of the Vanderbeeker kids all throughout the story—but especially at the ending. How they thought about others and their actions about the garden were so touching. This really was such a charming book and also a bit cleaner than the first book.
Content:
*Mentions of churches and a pastor.
*Minor cussing (a couple ‘fudge’s, a couple ‘holy heck’s, a ‘sucked’, a ‘jeez’,).
A few mentions of deaths of loved ones & how ...more
Reread 25/11/2018: I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH AAAH
First Read: 28/3/2018: This book was absolutely wonderful! I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time while reading it, and my heart feels like it's going to burst from happiness. This is one of the loveliest, most wonderful books I've ever read. ...more
First Read: 28/3/2018: This book was absolutely wonderful! I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time while reading it, and my heart feels like it's going to burst from happiness. This is one of the loveliest, most wonderful books I've ever read. ...more
When you read a book and it leaves an imprint on your heart, you can often be a bit concerned when a sequel is announced. For me, that concern is usually because I’m afraid that the “magic” of the first story won’t be able to be recreated, regardless of the talent and hard work of the author.
I am so thrilled that this wasn’t the case with The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden! I didn’t think it was possible for me to love this family more, but Karina Yan Glaser’s continued development of each ...more
I am so thrilled that this wasn’t the case with The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden! I didn’t think it was possible for me to love this family more, but Karina Yan Glaser’s continued development of each ...more
Apr 26, 2020
Elizabeth N. | ThePennilessBooknerd
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
4.5
This was a fun and really sweet book. I think I liked this one a little more than the first.I enjoy this series, but I don't love it as much as I love the The Penderwicks. I think the Penderwicks has a little more of a whimsical almost magic when there is none feeling, but this book feels more grounded and modern. It's still a fun story and I'm excited to read the next one.
I read The Secret Garden a few books before I read this, so I found all of the little references to it scattered through ...more
This was a fun and really sweet book. I think I liked this one a little more than the first.I enjoy this series, but I don't love it as much as I love the The Penderwicks. I think the Penderwicks has a little more of a whimsical almost magic when there is none feeling, but this book feels more grounded and modern. It's still a fun story and I'm excited to read the next one.
I read The Secret Garden a few books before I read this, so I found all of the little references to it scattered through ...more
This series is quickly becoming a middle grade fave for me. Such a lovely family dynamic. I love each of the 5 kids, although one of them is gone for most of this story. I love the nods to The Secret Garden. And I love the way these kids care for their friends and neighbors. I laughed out loud and I cried just a bit with this gorgeous story. Can't wait to dive into book 3.
...more
A heart warming sequel: about a Harlem family and community. It's summer and the kids are bored. The upstairs neighbor (Mr. Jeet) has a stroke and is sent to the ICU. The kids decide that they are going to build a small park for him and his wife, in an abandoned yard of the community church, trying to make sure it is done when he is ready to come home and one of the twins returns from music camp. The pastor is called away, and decisions have to be made by the parish Treasurer, who wants money to
...more
The Vanderbeeker kids of Harlem have another adventure. This time they are trying to save a vacant lot next door to the church from developers by turning it into a community garden.
Don't tell these rambunctious brothers and sisters they can't do something. That just makes them more determined. I love these kids! ...more
Don't tell these rambunctious brothers and sisters they can't do something. That just makes them more determined. I love these kids! ...more
Another wonderful story about the Vanderbeeker family!! If you haven't read the first book in this series, I suggest you do so right away, and pre-order this one IMMEDIATELY.
In this book, the Vanderbeeker kids are creating a garden as a special surprise, except the location they've chosen is less than ideal. They have several challenges to overcome, but in usual Vanderbeeker fashion, they will face them creativity and love.
An excellent follow-up to the first book, this is a 2018 middle grade m ...more
In this book, the Vanderbeeker kids are creating a garden as a special surprise, except the location they've chosen is less than ideal. They have several challenges to overcome, but in usual Vanderbeeker fashion, they will face them creativity and love.
An excellent follow-up to the first book, this is a 2018 middle grade m ...more
Laney is my Patronus.
Wow! What a fun ride! This book was adorable and I loved it. It was a great second to the first and it did not disappoint.
Things I loved:
The story: I mean I like action books too, but sometimes I just like to slow down and read something like this. This was the perfect book to slow down to! It had great themes and encouraged me to love life, even the small things! It also had a lot of good things to say about friends. I loved how all of the kids were best friends with each other first.
Overall th ...more
Things I loved:
The story: I mean I like action books too, but sometimes I just like to slow down and read something like this. This was the perfect book to slow down to! It had great themes and encouraged me to love life, even the small things! It also had a lot of good things to say about friends. I loved how all of the kids were best friends with each other first.
Overall th ...more
Mar 15, 2020
Brooke
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
kindle-reads
4.5
This series is the sweetest!
This series is the sweetest!
awwwwww
so cute & just what I needed right now :)
3.5 stars
so cute & just what I needed right now :)
3.5 stars
Aug 29, 2019
Abigail
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Fans of the Vanderbeekers / Readers Who Enjoy Heartwarming Middle-Grade Family Stories
The Vanderbeekers return in this follow-up to their debut adventure, chronicled in Karina Yan Glaser's
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
, and the result is a book every bit as engaging, appealing, and heartwarming as the first! When their beloved upstairs neighbor Mr. Jeet has a stroke, the children are terribly worried and upset. Oliver has the idea of turning the vacant, overgrown lot next to the church into a community garden, something Mr. Jeet and Miss Josie have long wanted, as a means
...more
This sequel is as wonderful as the first book! I love the Vanderbeeker family. Can't wait for #3!
...more
This was a very good book, and I loved being plunged back into the world of the Vanderbeekers. And though they went through some downs, like Mr. Jeet having another stroke, and ups, like gaining a new friend. I loved all points of view, but a Mr. Beiderman point of view would be cool. But overall, a definite five out of five stars.
Nov 01, 2019
Wendi Lee
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle_grade,
read-oct-2019
This series is so sweet! I think I loved this one more than the first. The Vanderbeeker kids (minus Isa) has only a few weeks to turn an empty plot by the neighborhood church into a beautiful garden for Mr. Jeet and Ms. Josie. I love the way gardening (and just being outside with plants) is portrayed. Can't wait to read the next book!
...more
Jul 20, 2018
Monica Edinger
added it
reviewed professionally.
Thanks to author @karinaisreadingandwriting and @hmhkids for the free book! All opinions are my own. I'll be sharing this with #kidlitexchange.
5/5 for this wonderful sequel, which comes out 9/26/18. Place it on your fall pre-order lists now!
~*~*~*~*~*
Swipe for the back!
~*~*~*~*~*
I was so happy to reunite with the Vanderbeeker children, Mrs. Josie, Mr. Jeet and Mr. Beiderman because my primary emotion when I finished the first book was deep regret that I read it too quickly!
Karina Yan Glaser ha ...more
5/5 for this wonderful sequel, which comes out 9/26/18. Place it on your fall pre-order lists now!
~*~*~*~*~*
Swipe for the back!
~*~*~*~*~*
I was so happy to reunite with the Vanderbeeker children, Mrs. Josie, Mr. Jeet and Mr. Beiderman because my primary emotion when I finished the first book was deep regret that I read it too quickly!
Karina Yan Glaser ha ...more
This sequel was everything I hoped it would be. I adore the Vanderbeekers, their neighborhood, and their big hearts. ❤️
The book picks up a few months after where the first book left off. The Vanderbeekers kids decide that they want to surprise their elderly neighbors with a garden planted in an empty block of land owned by the church. I really struggle with the rating for this one. The kids were lying to their parents, sneaking around, breaking into the locked property, stealing bags of soil... Their motives were sweet, but they broke too many rules. Nonetheless, I did like the first book, so I will continue wit
...more
Book contents: When catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbor, the Vanderbeekers must be and together to do what they do best: makes plan. They have nineteen days to turn the ivy-ridden, possibly haunted, abandoned lot down the street into the best community garden in Harlem. But creating a garden from scratch is not as easy as it seems, and with no money, absolutely zero gardening experience,and the threat of a slick real estate developer eyeing the land, the Vanderbeekers face their
...more
TC Reading Challenge: a book of your choice
2.5⭐️
Sorry, Sarah Mackenzie, but I just can’t get on the the Vanderbeeker bandwagon. This author just tries too hard to be modern, trendy, politically correct, and relevant. The whole thing falls flat for me.
2.5⭐️
Sorry, Sarah Mackenzie, but I just can’t get on the the Vanderbeeker bandwagon. This author just tries too hard to be modern, trendy, politically correct, and relevant. The whole thing falls flat for me.
This second instalment in the Vanderbeeker series was just as enjoyable as the first! It was such an uplifting, feel-good story where the Vanderbeeker children overcome huge obstacles in order to do something kind for others. Highly recommend to readers of all ages.
Who gave these kids the right to be so dang lovable?! I can't get enough of Laney, and all her siblings are so thoughtful and generous. I love that kids have these books to set an example of what goodness really looks like, even when the challenges are hard.
...more
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Originally from California, Karina came to New York City for college and has stuck around for nearly twenty years. She has had a varied career teaching and implementing literacy programs in family homeless shelters and recruiting healthcare professionals to volunteer in under resourced areas around the world. Now as a mother, one of her proudest achievements is raising two kids who can’t go anywhe
...more
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“Three days before the Garden Extravaganza, the Vanderbeekers walked to the garden to find the sidewalk in front of the gate filled with plants. There were two big pots of bright blue hydrangeas, four filled with peach-colored roses, a small tree with a scattering of green leaves, and twenty pots of lavender. Laney ran to the tree and hugged it. Hyacinth leaned over to smell the roses. Jessie and Oliver noticed ribbons attached to notes on some of the branches. As they peered at the cards, Orlando arrived carrying”
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